Journals of Two Expeditions of Discovery in North-West and Western Australia | Page 5

the red fires and picturesque groups of men, than which fancy could scarcely image a wilder scene.
NATIVE PATH AND WELL.
April 3.
Before the day had fully dawned we were under weigh. Our course for the first mile or two was embarrassed by ravines and scrub similar to that we had yesterday met with; our progress was therefore very slow, but we at length emerged on elevated sandy downs, thickly clothed with banksia trees, and across these we came upon a well-beaten native path running to the south by east, which was exactly our line of route. We had not followed this path for more than four miles when we found a most romantically-situated native well, surrounded by shrubs and graceful wattle trees, and of a depth and size such as we had never before observed. Here then we seated ourselves, and upon such scanty fare as we had made a sparing breakfast. This however but very insufficiently supplied our wants; and as we sat at this little well, thus surrounded with such fairy scenery, a variety of philosophic reflections crossed our minds and found vent in words. Nothing could be more delightfully romantic than our present position. Both as regarded danger, scenery, savages, and unknown lands, we were in precisely the situation in which Mr. Cooper and other novelists delight to depict their travellers, with this one woeful difference--our wallets were empty. It was in vain I fumbled about in mine; I could neither find the remains of a venison pasty, a fat buffalo's hump, or any other delicacy: indeed I had not the means of keeping life and soul together for many days longer. Deeply did we regret that we were not favoured for a few days with the company of Mr. Cooper, that he might in our present difficulties fully initiate us into the mysterious, nay, almost miraculous means by which his travellers, even in the most dreary wilds, always contrived to draw forth from their stock of provender such dainties that the bare recollection of them made our mouths water; but the necessities of the moment would not permit me for more than a few minutes to indulge in these speculations, and we turned therefore from seductive travels of the imagination to the more stringent ones of reality.
HEAVY LOADS CARRIED BY THE MEN.
I now entreated the men to disencumber themselves of a portion of the loads which they were attempting to carry. Urged by a miscalculating desire of gain, when the boats were abandoned they had laid hands upon canvas and what else they thought would sell at Perth, and some of them appeared to be resolved rather to risk their lives than the booty they were bending under. The more tractable threw away the articles I told them to get rid of; but neither entreaties nor menaces prevailed with the others.
For the next three miles we still followed the native path which continued to run south by east. The whole of this distance was over open sandy downs, abounding in kangaroos; but we now suddenly emerged into a rich limestone country of gently sloping hills and valleys, affording, even at this season of the year, fair feed for sheep or cattle, and we found springs of water at every few hundred yards, generally situated at the edge of a large clump of trees.
After having for some time rested here I quitted the native path, which trended too much to the eastward, and, leaving also the direction of the limestone country which ran inland, we continued a south by east course over a gravelly tableland in places covered with beds of clay on which rested ponds of water. The country here was perfectly open, with clumps of trees to the eastward. Emus and kangaroos were wandering about the plains.
DIFFICULT SCRUB.
Two miles more brought us to an almost impenetrable belt of scrub which lay east and west, directly athwart our path, so that we were obliged to face it; and in two hours and a half I had forced my way through it. The others followed, slowly emerging from the bush after me and, as we were all totally exhausted, as well as dreadfully torn and bruised, we halted at its edge for the night, and lighting our fires lay down to court that repose we had so fairly earned. We had however only walked fifteen and a half miles today.
April 4.
I again this morning used every effort to induce some more of the men to abandon a portion of their loads. I represented to them their weak state, the small supply of provisions they had with them, and the difficulty they already found in keeping up with the party; but all these arguments and every other I could make use of were unavailing; the tenacity with which they